2015-05-28 By Robbin Laird In late March 2015, I had a chance to visit the new generation British carrier, the HMS Queen Elizabeth and passed by the rapidly emerging Prince of Wales as well. Then the next day after the visit, I sat down with Royal Navy and Royal Air…
2015-05-17 By Robbin Laird This September, the Osprey will reach an 8-year mark in its operational deployment history. In September 2007, the Osprey was deployed for the first time to Iraq. The USMC Commandant Conway and Deputy Commandant of Aviation Castellaw announced and made the decision to deploy the Osprey…
2015-05-23 By Robbin Laird During my visit to 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade on March 17, 2015, I had a chance to interview Major General Richard L. Simcock II, Commanding General, 2d MEB, and Major Marcus Mainz, lead 2d MEB planner for Exercise Bold Alligator 2014, where we had a lengthy…
2015-05-22 Six aircraft arrived for the opening of OT-1 (first phase of operational testing) on May 18, 2015 aboard the USS Wasp. The six aircraft are from Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, Marine Aircraft Group 31, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, Beaufort, South Carolina, and Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121,…
2015-05-21 by Robbin Laird Murielle Delaporte and I had the chance to visit 2nd Marine Air Wing and MCAS Beaufort this week. I am going next week aboard the USS Wasp to watch some aspects of the sea trials of the Marines preparing for IOC of the aircraft The visit…
2015-05-09 By Robbin F. Laird In the famous opening lines of Charles Dickens Tale of Two Cities, he noted that “it was the best of times; its was the worst of times.” So it is for aircraft carriers. The critics of aircraft carriers focus on their vulnerability and the rise…
2015-05-12 By Robbin Laird The bomber has a long and distinguished history in first the Army Air Corps and then the US Air Force. When the B-17 was born, it was a controversial aircraft, which proved its worth when Nazi Germany controlled a continent and only the B-17 fleet could…
2015-04-29 John Blackburn retired as an Air Vice-Marshal in the Royal Australian Air Force in 2008 and has been involved in a number of strategic issues since then in Australia. He is currently the Deputy Chairman of the Sir Richard Williams Foundation, an Australian think tank focused on Air Power.…
